Wheel alignment device



L. F. JEZEK WHEEL. ALIGNMENT DEVICE Filed 001;. 24, 1947 Nov. 25, 1952 INVENTOR. LOUIS F. \TEZEK ATTORNEY ill Patented Nov. 25, 1952 UNITED STATE WHEEL ALIGNMENT DEVICE Louis Frank .lezek, Temple, Tex.

Application October 24, 1947, Serial No. 781,873

1 Claim. 1

My invention relates to a handy and useful implement for garages and automobile repair shops and is intended for checking and adjusting the true position of a pair of vehicle wheels.

It consists of a gage to be suspended between a pair of wheels to ascertain whether they are in or out of true running, and by which the reading of an error can be made almost instantaneously. It can be quickly applied and consists of a few parts easily obtainable and therefore manufactured at low cost. It can stand rough handling without getting out of order.

These objects and advantages are made clear by the subjoined description with the aid of the attached drawing.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of an automobile showing the front wheels with my gage suspended between them.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section and partly in elevation at the right end portion of the device as illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in section of the left hand end portion of the device as illustrated in Figure 1.

In the drawing reference numeral H) denotes the front Wheel axle of an automobile or other vehicle with a wheel H mounted in conventional manner at each end thereof.

The alinement device or wheel gage is shown beneath the wheel axle and consists of a metal tube l2 with a finger or rod it, having a rounded tip and telescopically mounted in the tube i2 and held in adjusted position by a set screw it with its tip end projecting at the left of Figure 1.

At the opposite end of the tube [2 is provided a fixed collar 9 and above the tube i2 is mounted a second finger or rod it: also having a reduced or rounded tip and projecting beyond the collar 9 and carried in pairs of lugs 16 integral with spaced sleeves it which are slidable on said tube H2. The rod 15 is supported in a key notch ll formed in the edge of the collar 9 at all times during its movements relative to the tube [2.

A tension spring l8 having its ends secured to the collar 9 and one of the sleeves [6, tends to urge the sliding finger l outwardly with its tip beyond the collar 9. Mounted centrally on those portions of the tube [2 and the finger i5 are cooperative indexes 2i] and I9, respectively, which are adjustable, one with respect to the other, following the placing of the gage in its operative position.

About midway between the tip ends of fingers i3 and it a short chain 2| is secured, about eight inches in length. A suitable length of the tube :2 is about three feet, nine inches or more, and a tension spring I8 about twelve inches free length and one fourth inch in diameter, tends to pull the finger it? out beyond the collar 9; but other dimensions may of course be employed for different conditions.

This wheel gage or alinement device is used in the following manner:

The automobile or any other two or four wheeled vehicle is placed on level ground for ascertaining whether two wheels, either front or rear, run true and the device held a short distance from ground not higher than the wheel axle, at the lower front side of the wheels or more exactly, so that the chain 2! just touches the ground when it hangs down freely.

With the set screw i l loosened, the finger i3 is moved into contact with one wheel tire while the finger i5 is held in contact with the opposite tire, after which screw i4 is tightened, so that the gage is supported from the points of the fingers i3, in contact with the two wheel tires ii following which the indexes are adjusted to exactly register with each other. The next step is thereupon to push the vehicle forward two or three feet on the ground, that is until the chain 2i again li htly touches the ground on the rear of the axle. This would mean a half turn of the wheels in the event that the gage was at the same height as the wheel axle. The relative position of the two pointers is next observed. If the pointers i9 and 28 still register, the wheels are true, but if not the new distance between pointers is measured giving the amount of adjustment needed for the wheels.

it is to be understood that the invention as herein disclosed may be varied from the details described and shown without departure from the spirit of the subjoinedclaim.

I claim:

a wheel alignment device, an elongated tubular member, a finger adjustably mounted in one end of the tubular member, a pair of spaced eeves slidably mounted on the other end portion of the tubular member, a pair of lugs formed integrally with each of the sleeves, an elongated finger fixedly mounted in the lugs and having an end portion projecting beyond the said other end portion of the tubular member, a collar fixedly mounted on the inner end of the tubular 3 member and having a notch formed in its edge engaged by the projecting end portion of the elongated finger for support during movements thereof relative to the tubular member, relatively adjustable indexes mounted on the tubular member and the elongated finger between the sleeves and lugs, a coil spring extending between the collar and the outer of the sleeves, and a length of chain depending from the tubular member to gage a half turning movement of the Wheels under test.

LOUIS FRANK JEZEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 15 Number 4 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Ackley Sept. 28, 1886 Fredericksen Apr. 13, 1920 Duby Dec. 26, 1922 Barnes Aug. 9, 1927 Gray Aug. 16, 1927 Hershman et a1. Mar. 20, 1928 Hartsock Apr. 10, 1928 Erickson Jan. 17, 1933 Blade Feb. 13, 1934 Hink Aug. 14, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain June 22, 1933 

